Rocket Juice & the Moon: Rocket Juice & the Moon – review

No stranger to all-star collaborations – witness Gorillaz and the Good, the Bad & the Queen – Damon Albarn's latest project finds him joining forces with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, together with assorted guests. While there are moments when everything falls into place (the Erykah Badu-assisted "Hey, Shooter"; a rare Albarn vocal on "Poison"; the sense of space on "Extinguished"), too often technical proficiency trumps songwriting. The instrumental likes of "Worries", "Night Watch" and the menacing "Check Out" are rhythmically complex and deftly performed, yet still they struggle to engage the listener. It's not just the outfit's name that's a slight disappointment.